Publication of preliminary data on Official Development Assistance 2010

Are there differences of methodology between the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the EU? How do we compare data?

The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) is the ultimate authority that decides if certain expenditure reported to it (by member states or other donors) qualifies as Official Development Assistance (ODA). The DAC is currently composed of 23 donor countries: Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, USA and EU15,. DAC statistical databases allow for different presentations of the data (constant prices, current prices, national currency).

The DAC includes only 15 EU Member States (=EU15).The Commission collects and presents data from EU Member States that are not members of DAC or do not report ODA to it. The DAC uses USD as the universal currency for its statistics. The European Commission uses the same methodology, but expresses its results in EUR.

As the EUR has weakened against USD, the same amount of USD converted to EUR would give a higher figure in 2010 than in 2009 than in 2008. This difference in evaluation applies for both global figures and individual Member States.

The EU uses the same current prices figures as presented by DAC in the publication of preliminary figures for 2010, reconverted from USD to EUR. In their presentation of data, the OECD DAC uses both figures in real and nominal terms, while EU presentation is in current prices only.

Does the 53.8 billion ODA include all development funding of the EU?

No, this amount (€53.8 billion) does not include €5.15 billion of concessional net disbursements from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Why is the data preliminary?

The data presented is based on information that OECD and EU Commission have received from Member Sates in recent weeks. Additional information on the details of funds and programmes for 2010 will be reported to and checked by DAC over the course of 2011. Final 2010 ODA figures may therefore only be published by OECD DAC in early 2012.

Does debt relief not twist the results and inflate ODA?

According to the OECD/DAC definition, debt relief qualifies as ODA, which in the view of the EU is justified since it provides support to developing countries. All EU MS do report their debt relief grants as ODA. In the view of the EU Commission it is important, however, that debt relief needs to be additional to other efforts, in line with the Monterrey Consensus of 2002.

EU Official Development Assistance 2004-2010

AUSTRIA

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

BELGIUM

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

BULGARIA

Source: Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

CYPRUS

Source: Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010 when available; Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

DENMARK

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

ESTONIA

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010 when available; Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

FINLAND

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

FRANCE

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

GERMANY

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

GREECE

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

HUNGARY

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010 when available; Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

IRELAND

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

ITALY

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

LATVIA

Source: Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

LITHUANIA

Source: Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

LUXEMBOURG

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

MALTA

Source: Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

THE NETHERLANDS

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2009; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

POLAND

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010 when available; Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

PORTUGAL

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

ROMANIA

Source: Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010 when available; Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

SLOVENIA

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010 when available; Commission data and simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

SPAIN

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

SWEDEN

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.

UNITED KINGDOM

Source: OECD/ DAC data for 1995 – 2010; Commission simulation based on information provided by EU Member States or based on agreed EU commitments for 2010 and 2015. ODA in current prices.